Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Arkansas Business recently presented the City of Fairfield Bay with a 2014 City of Distinction Quality of Life Award at the Arkansas Municipal League meeting. The City of Distinction program is designed to honor outstanding initiatives in cities across the state. The awards recognize successes of Arkansas cities as demonstrated by financial innovations, resourceful efficiencies, improved public service and overall enhanced public trust and support.

The publication noted Fairfield Bay’s renovated conference center as a reason for the City’s award. The center had previously closed its doors in 2002 and the vacant building suffered a hit when a massive storm hit it in 2011. Following the storm, the private owner turned the building over to the City.

“The outside of the building was water damaged and rotting away,” said Bob Thompson, the director of development for the Conference Center. “The roof had been leaking for years and the inside ceilings had fallen in. The walls were water logged and covered with mold. Animals were in the building.”

Garver provided architectural and engineering design services for the renovation effort and oversaw construction of the revitalized conference center. The project as a whole received more than $570,000 in grant money.

“It’s hard to put into words the pride everyone takes in seeing our city come back to life and the excitement we now have in our city because we have a special place to go every day to view art, meet for coffee and use the free Wi-Fi,” said Thompson.

“It was a corporate entity. Now it is owned by the citizens,” said Mayor Paul Wellenberger. “The Conference Center demonstrates what extraordinary results can happen when ordinary citizens get engaged and involved. I call it the Power of Us.”

Monday, March 23, 2015

Garver invests in America’s infrastructure every day through the quality of designs and services we provide our clients. We ensure that quality by hiring and retaining the highest caliber of employees. In turn, a select group of those employees are occasionally offered the opportunity to invest in Garver as a company and therefore further invest in our mission to provide sound designs, creative solutions, and first-class customer solutions. At this time, Garver is pleased to announce the following individuals as new owners:

Thursday, March 19, 2015

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Arkansas recently awarded Garver an Engineering Excellence Award in the Water and Wastewater Category for work done on the 23rd Street Pump Station project in Russellville.

City Corporation’s 23rd Street Lift Station had become a daily maintenance item, demanding more and more staff time and money to keep it operational. Garver evaluated the situation and determined the lift station could be eliminated and replaced—with excavation—and a gravity line. Garver worked with local land owners and an area business to ensure everyone’s needs were taken care of while putting in the gravity sewer line. The client received a more reliable wastewater collection system, dramatically reducing the risk of sanity sewer overflows. City Corporation will be spending no more man-hours performing maintenance on the lift station and the financial costs associated with the lift station have been eliminated.

Congratulations to Garver's North Little Rock Water Team. To find out what the Water Team can do for you, click here.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Garver recently hosted tables for Engineers Week at Dallas, Texas's Frontiers of Flight Museum, which gave Dallas Independent School District students the opportunity to engage in hands-on engineering activities, demonstrations, and presentations led by Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) partners. At one table, the Garver Water Team taught students about the water system and how water gets from a lake to consumers’ homes. At another table, Garver Aviation engineers taught students the characteristics of different pavement materials.

“These kids are coming from a lot of different backgrounds, but they’re all here to learn about what an education in STEM subjects can give them,” said Project Engineer Sara Johnson. “I’m glad I got to be a part of that.”

GarverGives focuses the company’s charitable contributions and encourages employees to support STEM education and being stewards within the local community. Joining Frontiers of Flight Museum during Engineers Week is one of the ways we’re doing that. For more information on GarverGives, click here.